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"Laugh like Surpanakha": Modern Literary Re-Imagining of a Famous Villainess in Indian Folkloric Traditions
Ist Teil von
Cultural analysis, 2024-06, Vol.22 (1), p.47
Ort / Verlag
Cultural Analysis
Erscheinungsjahr
2024
Link zum Volltext
Quelle
EZB Electronic Journals Library
Beschreibungen/Notizen
The Ramayana, a mythological tale passed down in oral folkloric traditions with the earliest discovered written version dating between the 4th and 6th centuries BC, continues to hold dominant cultural sway in India and many south Asian countries. To the many millions of people in South Asia, Surpanakha, the female character in Ramayana who instigated the great war between good and evil, continues to be upheld as the embodiment of all things women should not be--vocal of her lustful desires, fearless to proposition a man, violent and selfish. However, her role as a villainess is being questioned. In contemporary re-imagined narrative, she is portrayed as a misunderstood and oppressed female in a patriarchal system. Through qualitative analysis of online user generated content (UGC), this study explores how modern readers perceive Surpanakha's characterization in Kavita Kane's novel The Lanka's Princess. Findings suggest readers' willingness to accept Surpanakha's villainous traits as expressions protesting mainstream expectations of the female ideal. Keywords: female villain, villainess, fairytale, folklore, feminist revisioning, India, Surpanakha